This invention concerns compositions of RNA functioning as an RNA enzyme, i.e. a ribozyme in several capacities: dephosphorylase (acid phosphatase and transphosphorylase), ribonucleotidyl transferase (polymnerase activity) and sequence-specific endoribonuclease activities.
It is found that purified ribonucleic acid (RNA) can serve as an enzyme acting on other RNA molecules in vitro (ribozyme) as a: 1) dephosphorylating enzyme catalyzing the removal of 3xe2x80x2 terminal phosphate of RNA in a sequence-specific manner, 2) RNA polymerase (nucleotidyltransferase) catalyzing the conversion of oligoribonucleotides to polyribonucleotides, 3) sequence specific endoribonuclease. (This latter activity is also referred to as RNA restriction endonuclease or endoribonuclease activity.)